5th MIAC Split Ends League Season

STORY LINE: Concordia splits its last MIAC doubleheader of the season as they beat Bethel 2-0 in the first game and lost 4-2 in the finale. The Cobbers rode the complete-game shutout from Ty Syverson in Game 1 with Brett Erickson driving in both runs. Concordia was then outhit 12-6 in the second game with Sean McGuire knocking home both CC runs.

RECORDS: The spilt is the fifth of the year in conference play for the Cobbers. Concordia finishes the MIAC season with a 9-11 record which is good for a tie for seventh place in the final league standings. CC is 15-21 with one game left in the 2019 slate. Bethel finishes their MIAC year with a similar 9-11 record. The Royals are 21-16 overall.

GAME 1 RECAP: Ty Syverson spun another gem in the opener as he went the distance and allowed only five hits and struck out four. He didn't give up more than one hit in an inning after the first frame and at one point retired 11 straight batters from the first to the fourth innings. Syverson only allowed two runners to reach second base and didn't have a Royal hitter get farther than second the entire game. The Cobber offense did all of its damage in the fifth inning when Brett Erickson drove in two runs with a 2-out triple to right field. The Cobbers started the entire rally with two outs. Grant Toivonen walked and then advanced to second on a Nate Hoeft single before Erickson plated both runners with the 3-bagger.

GAME 2 RECAP: Concordia got another complete-game pitching performance and scored two runs but were done in by single runs from Bethel in the sixth and seventh innings which unlocked a 2-2 tie. Cole Christensen went a full 8.0 innings in the final outing of his career. Christensen allowed three earned runs and struck out two. Sean McGuire had both of the Cobber RBI. He went 2-for-4 in the finale. He recorded his first career home run in the fourth inning and then doubled down the left field line in the eighth which plated Erickson who had singled in the prior at-bat. Mason Penske was also 2-for-4 in Game 2.

TY ANOTHER ONE ON: Ty Syverson recorded his second straight complete-game conference win. He beat Carleton 9-1 last Saturday and only allowed one earned run. Syverson went at least 6.0 innings in all five of his MIAC starts this year and had a 1.59 earned run average. He went 2-2 and led the team with a .177 opponent's batting average.

LONG BALL BARRAGE: After hitting only one home run in the first 30 games of the year, the Cobbers have hit two long balls in the last six contests. All three of the Concordia home runs this season have been hit on a Saturday.

MULTIPLE MAN MCGUIRE: Sean McGuire added to his multiple-hit and multiple-RBI game totals in the second game. McGuire now has 11 multiple-hit games which is second on the team and his seven multiple-RBI contests are tied for the team lead. McGuire is hitting .304 on the year which is second on the squad.

HOEFT DOES THE MACARENA: Nate Hoeft was the only Cobber to have a hit in both games vs. Bethel. He has now hit safely in four straight games and has 96 career hits. He is hitting .286 for the year and .284 for his career in maroon and gold.

UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2019 season when they play at Division I North Dakota State on Monday, May 6 at 6:30 at Neumann Outdoor Field in Fargo. The Bison are 14-21 on the year.